#MenToo: Karan Oberoi among several joins dharna at Azad Maidan

Pic courtesy/Twitter/Mra Guri

A large number of people from various fields, including several men's rights activists and actors, gathered at the Azad Maidan in Mumbai for a peaceful protest to voice their support for the #MenToo movement. The purpose of this dharna was to create awareness about the misuse of law, in cases where men are falsely framed and accused of rape and other such charges by women. Recently, TV actor Karan Oberoi was accused of extortion and rape by a healer. However, he was granted bail by the Bombay high court on June 7.

Karan Oberoi stated, "After being wrongly accused, I realised that I'm not the only one. There are so many men out there who are falsely accused. After being in prison for all those days, I can say that no one should go through such an ordeal ever. When I was in jail, the ones who suffered the most were my mother and sister. So, when you are fighting for men's rights, you are also addressing the whole family that has been affected. I'm here today to support #MenToo, because I believe that justice shouldn't be determined on the basis of one's gender. Every man is vulnerable if the law is misused. We are fighting for gender-neutral laws here. When I was in jail, there were so many people fighting for me outside. However, there are many voiceless people, who do not have a support system, the means or money to help them. How can you just let them suffer for no fault of theirs? So, this fight is not just mine, and it doesn't end with me getting out of jail."

According to Bombay Times, Pooja Bedi, who has been at the forefront of this movement and is one of Karan's best friends and strongest supporters, said, "Movements like this are initiated because there is a need for it. There is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. What this movement needs at this point is support, visibility, and among many agendas, the most important one is to put a stop to fake cases. This is possible by modifying laws and strictly punishing those who file fake cases."

The event saw several known faces lend support to the #MenToo movement, like activist Amit Deshpande, equal rights activist Barkha Trehan, theatre personality Dolly Thakore, Karan's friend Sherrin Varghese (member of Karan's music band, A Band Of Boys), Karan's sister Gurbani and Maneck Contractor, among others.

Added Barkha Trehan, "I'm here to show support to all my innocent brothers who have been falsely implicated in fake cases. Their lives are ruined." Activist Amit Deshpande explained that the aftermath of such false cases could lead men to take drastic steps in their life. "These false cases affect men so badly that it even leads them to suicide. We have a suicide helpline for men and the maximum calls are from those who are falsely accused," he said.

Also Read: Karan Oberoi gets bail in sexual harassment case

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